NZ researchers help create perfect sheep

IT'S said that New Zealand has about seven sheep for every person, and now that number could grow thanks to a scientific breakthrough that will help pastoralists create their perfect partner.

New Zealand researchers and a consortium of scientists from around the world on Friday revealed they have successfully sequenced the sheep genome.

Jo-Ann Stanton from the University of Otago said this is the sheep equivalent of the human genome project, which identified and mapped the genetic DNA of humans and led to advances in biotechnology and the treatment of disease.

Researchers say sequencing the sheep genome has major implications for agriculture globally, not just in New Zealand.

"We can now use that genome information to look at our sheep population and improve the genetic quality of those sheep," Dr Stanton told NZ Newswire.

"It is a resource which we can use to understand sheep biology that much better."

The study and its paper published in Science journal represents eight years of work involving 73 international authors across 26 research institutions.

John McEwan from AgResearch said researchers from the University of Otago became involved in the project during its early stage.

He said they completed half of the sequencing seven years ago, which was used as a crude map in the collation and analysis of the genome.

Understanding the genetic make-up of sheep has already improved productivity in the local sheep.

Resistance to parasites, meat yield and the number of lambs born per sheep are some of the 22 traits that have been developed into commercially available genomic selections using DNA markers.

"Here in New Zealand we are most interested is using it for genetic improvement in sheep," Dr McEwan said.

Reducing the amount of gaseous burps per sheep is also a priority.

"We're investigating ... using the same technology to see if we can reduce methane emissions from sheep," Dr McEwan said.

According to government figures, about 90 per cent of New Zealand's emissions of methane - one of the main greenhouse gases affecting climate change - come from sheep and cattle flatulence.